In order to limit or reduce air pollutants released by motor vehicles, many vehicle manufacturers are required to have exhaust emissions tested for pollutants prior to vehicle production and sale. A jurisdiction may enact or otherwise define an emission testing standards specifying protocols/procedures for testing the exhaust emissions for different types of engines or vehicles. The testing protocols are usually designed to accurately and realistically represent the range of conditions under which the vehicle or engine is expected to be operated. These tests are typically standardized by a regulatory agency and performed in federally commissioned testing labs using dynamometers (“dynos”),—devices that simulate loading of either an engine (e.g., using an engine dyno) or a full powertrain (e.g., using a chassis dynamometer).
Most vehicles include catalytic converters, devices that limit or reduce emissions generated by internal combustion (e.g., gasoline) engines and compression combustion (e.g., diesel) engines. In many cases, a vehicle may include an engine management system (EMS) that may manage or control various systems of the vehicle/engine (e.g., a fuel injection system, an ignition or spark system, etc.) so that the catalytic converter limits/reduces the requisite amount of emissions delineated by the emissions testing standard. In order to pass most emissions tests, the EMS may control the fuel injection system and spark system in a way that does not optimize fuel consumption, and therefore, does not provide the best possible fuel economy for the vehicle. Typically, the optimal calibrations for emissions reduction and fuel economy happen at different air-to-fuel ratios and spark ignition points.
However, in some cases the EMS and/or vehicle components may not be calibrated for optimal emissions reduction due to aging of the components, component failure, etc. In some cases, the EMS may not be calibrated for optimal emissions reductions due to a faulty or buggy over-the-air software updates provisioned by the vehicle's manufacturer. This may result in the vehicle emissions being higher than the legally permitted levels.